American History: Colonial Period and Independence

Question 1

What is one reason colonists came to America?

Answer 1

▪ freedom
▪ political liberty
▪ religious freedom
▪ economic opportunity
▪ practice their religion
▪ escape persecution

Question 2

Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived?

Answer 2

Native Americans

Question 3

What group of people was taken to America and sold as slaves?

Answer 3

people from Africa

Question 4

Why did the colonists fight the British?

Answer 4

▪ because of high taxes (taxation without representation)
▪ because the British army stayed in their houses (boarding, quartering)
▪ because they didn’t have self-government

Question 5

Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?

Answer 5

Thomas Jefferson

Question 6

When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?

Answer 6

July 4, 1776

Question 7

There were 13 original states. Name three.

Answer 7

▪ New Hampshire
▪ Massachusetts
▪ Rhode Island
▪ Connecticut
▪ New York
▪ New Jersey
▪ Pennsylvania
▪ Delaware
▪ Maryland
▪ Virginia
▪ North Carolina
▪ South Carolina
▪ Georgia

Question 8

What happened at the Constitutional Convention?

Answer 8

▪ The Constitution was written.
▪ The Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution.

Question 9

When was the Constitution written?

Answer 9

1787

Question 10

The Federalist Papers supported the passage of the U.S. Constitution. Name one of the writers.

Answer 10

▪ (James) Madison
▪ (Alexander) Hamilton
▪ (John) Jay
▪ Publius

Question 11

What is one thing Benjamin Franklin is famous for?

Answer 11

▪ U.S. diplomat
▪ oldest member of the Constitutional Convention
▪ first Postmaster General of the United States
▪ writer of “Poor Richard’s Almanac”
▪ started the first free libraries

Question 12

Who is the “Father of Our Country”?

Answer 12

(George) Washington

Question 13

Who was the first President?*

Answer 13

(George) Washington